Where I Come From

During my childhood summers you would find me at my grandparents hardware store. Often, I would be on a rolling stool listening deeply to my grandmother, Martha. I loved spending summer visits in their hardware store. I was surrounded by the stories of my grandmother as she helped farmers, construction workers, and every day folks.

Their store was full of trinkets from across the decades. It was a playground for my imagination, ever-growing spirit, and sprouts for loving people well. I can still picture the square wrap-around counter, hear the front entrance doorbell ring, and the sound of her voice if I close my eyes tight enough. Half the time folks came to Lawerence Hardware just to see Martha. They would share stories of newborns, the growth of their farm, details of new subdivisions, or just laugh a while. 

This safe haven, for me, was church. Here I learned of a God who never leaves us, who loves us tenderly, and asks us to take care of each other. At that wrap-around counter, I learned of Jesus in the actions of my grandmother following scripture and compassion daily. And I learned of the mystery of the Spirit who could turn the winds of strangers into life long friends - despite race, class, gender, or sex (especially in rural Alabama). 

I come from small towns and every day folks. I am of the Georgia red clay that continues to grow cotton and peanuts despite erosion of farm land. I come from supper tables with pass around plates and star gazing summers. My love and curiosity for embracing folks for who they are, and what may be possible, is a core part of who I am as a person and a pastor. 

Martha taught me how to meet people where they are and embrace them fully. Then she introduced me to a God who always embraces the outsider to show us just how much we need each other.

My hope is you’ll find common ground with me, and new ground to explore in laughter, joy, and rich possibility!

Who I Am

I am a queer, trans, non-binary human who cares deeply about collaborative humanity, brave space creation, and practices of freedom toward transformation. I believe in genuine invitation to co-exist in empowered and embodied ministry collectively. I am a gifted prophetic preacher, who values scripture and expanding how we engage one another, God, and our community. 

My pastoral care approach is rooted in deep listening, and collaborative outreach with various practices to co-soothe with the weary, the oppressed, the joyful, and grief stricken. I am a pastor with the people. I lead alongside others and hold great self-awareness of how we need one another to do faithful ministry and thrive in community. My ministry engagement is centered in wisdom sharing, empowering growth of our faith in practice and care, and mirroring God’s love through worship, justice, and intergenerational leadership. I am a gifted teacher and believe in life-long learning for a healthy congregation and spiritual growth. 

I adore discovering how we find mutual rhythm for connection, justice, and love in community. I believe our youth, our elders, and our wider communities all serve a role in being a part of this joyful tapestry of Church. Ministry is done well in mutuality. I’m passionate about congregations being the Inn for their people and the people beyond their infrastructures in ways that heal instead of burning us out spiritually.  My wide-variety of spiritual gifts in how to build spaces like this collectively, or continue growth are gifts I know God has given me for a time such as this. 

My favorite parable, the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37), offers a loving model for this type of ministry. Often, we can recall how to obtain everlasting life, but less of our healing friend’s gesture toward the injured. The Good Samaritan leaves the injured at the Inn with coins of his own and continues onward. The Inn is kept tender and open by the body of Christ – which is each of us. I’m eager to meet our community open to be this communal Inn!

“Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it!”
— Howard Thurman

What I Believe

  • Everything I do in my life and call as a minister is rooted in tenderness. To stay soft; is to stay close to Jesus. And by staying close to Jesus, I believe, we stay closer to each other. And I know so deeply in my spirit, we need each other. 

  • I believe in us. I believe in our shared kinship to each other, even when tense, is of value to God. So much so, that God asks us in the very beginning of scripture to tend to one another well. I love how God invites us into our faith at birth and Jesus shows us so many ways we can live into our faith and our love for each other well.

  • Resurrection is key to transformation for me. Jesus makes a way out of no way, so we can be believers in ourselves, in each other, and for making heaven a place on earth. It’s incredibly important, when speaking of resurrection, that I name how suffering is not a requirement toward thriving. Thriving happens with God and one another. 

  • I believe in all of our bodies we host a love map. In mine, my queerness serves as the map key, and Jesus illuminates my direction. It matters how I name myself as queer and non-binary, because my queer body offers a unique perspective on life and for ministry.. My queerness is a gift and is only one piece of what makes up all of me. 

  • I believe in Jesus’ ministry. I believe in how Jesus embraces the poor, the captive, the marginalized, the forgotten, the other, and the world as whole for the sake of flourishing. All of my discoveries of my faith began with Jesus. All of my active movements in ministry now begin with Jesus. 

  • I refer to myself as a Good Samaritan of Difference because I believe deeply when we embrace our differences, we are drawn closer to the heart of Jesus and mirror that love outward. In other words, we live the Gospel out loud with each other despite if we are alike or not. 

  • I acknowledge that being human is messy and so is being the Church. And, I encourage an embrace of chaos to discover hope, belonging, and living into the witness of God’s love. Together in worship and in community we practice our faith, our humanity, and embrace Jesus' teachings. Worship is at the heart of being the Church and the sacraments we participate in renew, restore, and remind us of who God calls us to be; how Jesus loves us; and that we are never alone. 

  • Communion is dear to me. At the table, God’s tenderness and vulnerability is on display with us. Jesus offers us grace and love. And, the Holy Spirit’s guidance surrounds us. In Baptism, we experience the rush of creation waters which joins us together; a new beginning in faith and reminder of our belonging.

  • There is nothing I adore more than being with the Church - in preaching, prayer, comfort, onward. I view myself as a pastor with the people and look forward to meeting the right community for local church ministry. 

  • I believe in my ordination as a life-long covenant of being with the people of God for the sake of love. My body exists as a vessel of invitation, love, transformative justice, and faithful ministry. And, I know my ordination is a mirror of Jesus' love in real time for the rest of my life. I also believe deeply we do not do ministry alone. We heal, love, and grow in Jesus’ likeness together. 

  • I love you because I see God in you; in each of us. And, I eagerly await the joy of being in fellowship with you. 

  • Served as Digital Coordinator for Christian Education & Spiritual Formation

    Children's Ministry:

    • Weekly Children's Ministry time after worship and during worship via Zoom 

    • Lessons utilized art to embody a presence together

    • Children co-taught and helped led our worship time

    • Show & Tell monthly moments with parents

    • A newsletter with prep materials weekly

    • Christmas Play & Worship for youth 

    • Ages 6 months-12 years old; PA to Canada 

    Worship & Spiritual Formation:

    • Prepared liturgy for worship

    • Preached & offered pastoral care calls to youth and parents

    • Supported Consistory in their fundraiser initiatives with my extensive background in non-profit giving

  • Served as Ministry Specialist for Communication & Design

    Worship:

    • Preaching & Teaching for Services & yearly conference 

    • Liturgy writing for Christmas, Easter, and Pride services

    • Created digital ministry offerings weekly for Middle's diverse and global congregation

    Teaching:

    Offered educational series on:

    • The Book of Daniel

    • Living-Death Doula Narrative Care Model

    • Grief & Resurrection 

    • Queer Theology

    Activism & Organizing:

    • Marched with 60K in NYC day Roe V Wade overturned

    • Supported the creation of Middle Church Regional Groups

    • Taught organizing courses

    Pastoral Care:

    • Regular calls to congregants

    • Led Weekly Care Groups

    • Daily Digital Ministry offerings

  • Currently serving as Minister for Gender & Sexuality Justice

    Responsible for vision, oversight, and coordination of United Church of Christ (UCC) strategies pertaining to education, advocacy, resources, spiritual care, and partnership building related to Women and Gender Justice, LGBTQIA+ Justice, Sex Education Justice and emerging issues across the spectrum of Gender & Sexuality Justice.

Vocational History

Community Investment & Movement Building

I’m deeply committed to supporting the community I live within, as I believe where our roots are planted, our hearts must spread love and nourishment.

Interfaith Clergy Pastoral Support in Atlanta

Three years ago (2021) I began working with local organizations who were concerned for the spiritual and mental well-being of parents and LGBTQ+ youth offering testimony against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. I began to build a network of various organizers and clergy from various churches to serve as spiritual chaplains and guides during Georgia’s legislative sessions. Together, we created care spaces for parents and youth and I worked to create care spaces for those working tirelessly to protect the rights of all.

Through this offering, I’ve built sustainable relationships and networks with interfaith clergy in Atlanta. Alongside this network, I’ve met such incredible parents, resilient youth, and caring folks who advocate year round for our lives to be possible.

Atlanta LGBTQ+ History Project

During the height of the pandemic (2020) I began to dream with two friends about telling the truth of our LGBTQ+ history in Atlanta. The hope was to create accessible archivable records of those who paved the way for our various offerings in our city and to connect younger generations to our elders. Our first exhibit debuted at the Center for Civil and Human Rights. The project remains active today.

Atlanta Interfaith Alliance

In 2018, I co-founded Atlanta Interfaith Alliance to connect organizers, seminarians, and clergy. We hosted several chapter meetings, social networking moments, worship offerings, and connective organizing meet ups.